In order to accomplish audio editing, it is known to use a mixer to control a plurality of multi-channel devices, such as VTRs, for example. It is also known that an editor may be advantageously used to control the mixer via a parallel editor interface to enable various VTR functions including PREVIEW/REVIEW and FADE UP/DOWN, for example. In general, the PREVIEW/REVIEW functions require a digital signal (e.g. 5 or 0 v.) to be supplied to an appropriate channel to activate the channel. The FADE UP/DOWN functions generally require analog signals (0-5 v, e.g.) to be supplied to the appropriate channels. These signals are commonly referred to as VCA signals and are supplied to voltage controlled amplifiers associated with the channels. Other analog and digital control signals may be used to implement other known functions.
Generally, in a mixer system, a mixer is connected to a plurality of devices such as VTRs or other multi-channel devices, for example. The mixer may also be connected to an editor via a parallel editor interface to enable editor control of the mixer. However, such prior systems generally enable editor control of either only all four-channel devices or only all two-channel devices. This is clearly an undesirable limitation. Some systems allow for the use of hard wired jumpers to enable various combinations of two and four-channel devices to be used. This avoids the aforedescribed undesirable limitation, but adds a new drawback in that using hard wired jumpers is time consuming and can be difficult if several devices are to be connected. Additionally, if it is desired to reconfigure the devices, for example, to replace a four-channel device with 2 two-channel devices, rewiring is necessary, once again requiring a time consuming operation.
To further elaborate, if a mixer has twenty channels, for example, it is possible to connect 5 four-channel devices or 10 two-channel devices or some combination thereof, for example, 2 four-channel devices and 6 two-channel devices.
In order for the editor control signals to be sent to a selected device, it must be known what channels of the mixer are associated with that device. If, as in the prior art, all four-channel devices, e.g., are used, it is known that device 1 corresponds to channels 1-4, device 2 corresponds to channels 5-8, etc. For this reason, some prior art systems do not allow the flexibility of using two and four-channel devices together under editor control. However, as described above, some systems allow a combination of two and four-channel devices but require hard wired jumpers to enable editor control signals to be sent to the appropriate device. The disadvantages of these systems are pointed out above.